Indicator and alarm for refrigerator drip-pans



W. M. KURZ. INDICATOR AND ALARM FOR REFRIGERATOR DRIP PANS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.26, I919.

Patented July 19, 1921.

part of UNITED STATES wrLmmu. norm, or NEWARK, new

JERSEY.

INDICATOR AND ALARM FOR nnrmennaron DRIP-FANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

Application filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 840,864.

Toallwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. KURZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators and Alarms for Refrigerator Drip-Pans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in an indicator and alarm for refrigerator drip pans and has for its primary object to provide a device for indicating the level of the liquid within the pan and an audible signal which is automatically sounded when the liquid reaches a pre-determined height, so as to prevent the overflow of the pan.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a device of the above mentioned character including a fulcrumed lever which automatically controls the operation of the indicator and the sounding of the audible signal.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a device of the above mentioned character including comparatively few and simple parts, which when assembled are reliable and efficient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of ator having my invention associated therewith, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the invention itself.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a refrigerator of standard construction having disposed beneath the drain pipe 6, a drip pan 7 of any desired configuration.

As is usually the case, the refrigerator is placed adjacent the wall of the room in which it is positioned and therefore, I have found it desirable to affix the principal parts of my invention to the wall directly in the rear of the refrigerator. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, a bracket 8 is fixedly attached to the wall through the medium of bolts or screws 9 which pass through the upwardly a refrigerextending end 10 of the bracket. This bracket is located so as to be approximately on a horizontal plane with the under side of the refrigerator. The'opposite end of the bracket is bent downwardly at right angles, as at 11, having its lower edge rolled to form bearings 12. This downwardly extending portion is longitudinally slotted as at 13, to receive the lever 14 which is fulcrumed thereto adjacent one end by the shaft 15. The lever 14 extends beneath the refrigerator and terminates in an arcuate shaped end 15' having depending therefrom a float '16 which is constructed of cork or other suitable material. This float is connected to the end 15' through the medium of the lug 17 so as to hang within the pan 7. The opposite end of the lever 14: is apertured to receive the vertically extending rod 18 which extends proportional distances on each side thereof. The lower end of the rod has a weight 19 attached thereto, the purpose of which is to balance the float. The upper portion of the rod 18 extends through the elongated slot 20 of the bracket 8, being connected to one end of the pointer 21 which is pivoted to the block 22, as at 23. The block 22 is affixed to the wall at a distance slightly above the top of the refrigerator so as to be easily seen by a person in front thereof. The opposite end of the pointer 21 is adapted to move over the arcuate shaped dial 24 carried by the plate 22, said dial having at each end an outwardly extending lug 25 for limiting the movement of the pointer.

The audible signal comprises the bell 26 having extending therefrom wires 27 and 28, the wire 28 including a source of current 29 which when the circuit is complete sounds the bell 26. The wire 28 is grounded on the lever 14, as at 30, while the wire 27 is connected to the terminal 81 attached to one end of the bracket 8. Extending from the terminal 81 downwardly is the switch contact or arm 32 which intermittently contacts with the lever 14, thus completing the circuit. The parts of the invention are so arranged that when the level of the liquid in the drip pan is very low the circuit wil be broken and the pointer 21 will be disposed near the lower end of the dial 2 1. As the liquid in the pan rises the pointer 21 will move upwardly while at the same time the circuit of the signal will be closed and the bell sounded.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, other end of the bracket, a. float at the exis to be taken as a preferred example of the treme end of the lever, a vertical movable same, and that certain changes in the shape, rod passing through the bracket and opposize, and arrangement of parts may be re site end of the lever, a weight at the lower sorted to without departing from the spirit end of the rod to balance the float, and in- 20 of the invention 01' the scope of the subdicating means connected with the upper joined claims. end of the rod, operable by movement of Having thus fully described my inventhe float. tion, I claim In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my 10 A signaling device for refrigerator drip signature in the presence of two witnesses. 25

ans com )liSlIl a bracket havm its ends P c b bent at right angles in opposite directions to WILLlAM BURL each other, one of said ends being secured \Vitnesses: to an object adjacent the pan, a lever pivlVILLnmr J. BAILEY,

l5 otally connected, adjacent one end, to the FRANK S. JOHNSON. 

